Episode 55: The Capital of Aezeokar (5)

******* Carolus' POV ********

"You know what it is?" Rose asked me from beside but I ignored her and just keep on staring at the Iron Farm.

Who built this? Is there another person like me in this world that got stuck here and why on earth would they build this sort of thing?

Multiple questions soared in my brain that I'm starting to lose my mind.

I started running forward and quickly hopped to get on top of the Iron Farm.

I landed near the stone edge of the build and I can see one Iron Golem walking inside the stone cage.

The Iron Golem looks up and stares at me. He then started charging towards me and he really wants me dead but can't do anything since the wall of the cage is quite high.

I don't see any contraption in the build to kill the Iron Golem so they probably do it manually. How many Iron Golems can this build summon in a single day?

I can hear someone ripping something below and multiples scream echoed in the room.

"What is this? Why are there children locked in this compartment?" I can hear Rose asked no one in particular.

I quickly jumped off the Iron Farm and landed on the floor behind Rose. She is standing in front of the opening where the door is once placed. I can see the iron door that got ripped off in the distance.

Rose noticed me and she quickly steps away in the doorway.

I held the lantern in my hand towards the room and I can see quite a lot of really scared children.

I was shocked about the things I'm seeing but I managed to make myself calm.

"Come on out. We won't hurt you, I promise." I said to the children.

They didn't move in their places and just continue staring at us and shaking.

They are really dirty and looks malnourish. How long are they trapped in this room?

I opened my inventory and grabbed an apple in my left hand. I then raised it so the children can see.

Their eyes turned wide like they haven't seen any food for a while.

"It's alright. Come on here. I will give you lots of food." I said to them and this time they slowly walk out of their prison.

One by one, they slowly walk towards me and I handed each one of them an apple and a bottle of water.

They eat in silence and I can see so much happiness in their eyes.

They are 12 of them. They are really young and some of them are probably the same age as the next-door kid back in my own world.

Who would do something like this? Trapping innocent children so they can harvest iron. My God.

"What is going on here, Rose? Do you know about this?" I suddenly asked her after tending the children.

"I don't even know what that thing is." She replied.

I was about to ask Rose another question when there suddenly a loud banging that came in the Iron Farm. The children quickly covered their ears and close their eyes. They started shaking again.

"It's alright. It just the Iron Golem. He is trapped so won't be able to hurt you." I said to them and they quickly calm down.

Well, I'm hoping that cage can withstand the blows of the Iron Golem otherwise I have to kill it to protect these children. I don't know if that Iron Golem is hostile or not but I'm not taking any chances.

I suddenly can hear multiple footsteps coming from the hallway.

"What? What is it?" Rose quickly asked me since I turned around and face the door.

"Footsteps. People wearing armor running towards here. They are close. They are about 20 or so of them and I can still hear more." I said to her.

"How do you know that?" Rose asked me but I just turned around and face the children.

"Kids. Quick. Get back inside." I said to them.

None of the children dared to move a step and even some of them are shaking their heads in disapproval.

I kneeled on the floor and face them eye to eye.

"Look. I know you don't want to get back in there but it is the only safe place here." I said to the children but still didn't budge in their places.

"Just picked them up and shove them inside," Rose said beside me.

I can see Rose is holding a bow in her hand now and she is ready for battle. She is also wearing her iron armor.

I ignored Rose's proposal and just opened my inventory to see what I can use to convince these kids to listen to me.

I held a compass in my hand and all of the children's attention quickly glued to what I'm holding.

"This is a compass. See. This thing always points North." I said to them while shaking the compass and waiting for it to point North again.

I hand over the compass to the nearest boy in the group.

"How about all of you play with that while I and this lady here deal with some people," I said to them while slowly ushering them inside their prison room.

I also handed them my lantern since it is quite dark inside the room.

I noticed that this room doesn't have any heating, whatsoever, so I place a furnace inside and chuck coal blocks from my inventory. I fired up the furnace and the room is starting to heat up.

"I'm going to place an iron door to keep you safe," I said to the kids after making sure they are sort of alright and their faces quickly turned sour.

"No. No. No. Don't worry. I won't lock the door. This is just a safety precaution." I quickly explained to them and luckily, they seem to trust me.

After making sure the children are safe, I then turned around to see that they are now soldiers slowly walking inside the room.

They are pointing their weapons at us and it is making me pissed since they are children behind me. Thankfully, there are an iron door and stone walls protecting the children so they will probably be alright.

"What is the meaning of this? Don't you know who I am? I'm Rose Cromwell. Lady of the Eastern Border. Protector of the Eastern Territory and niece of King Raimer." Rose shouted and she made sure everyone in the room can hear her.

None of the soldiers flinched at Rose's words like whatever she was saying don't matter to them.

The soldiers stood their ground and I have no idea how to deal with this situation.

I'm still armorless and weaponless since I decided to solve this matter peacefully but Rose suddenly raised her weapon and nocked an arrow.

"Fine. Have it your way." Rose said to them while loosing an arrow and hitting a soldier in the shoulder.

The soldier that got hit with an arrow quickly fall on the floor and struggled to get back up. Thankfully it is not a fatal shot. It seems that Rose doesn't want unnecessary killing.

Rose started firing arrows at extreme speed that every single one of the soldiers here didn't get the chance to fight back or defend themselves.

After a while, they are now about 30 wounded soldiers in the room and more and more of them are still pouring in.

"That is enough!" A shout suddenly roared coming from outside the room.

The soldiers make way for the person who just shouted and Rose and I can see the person who we are supposed to talk to when we came in this place.

The Prophet.

"What is the meaning of this? What are you both doing in here? None of you are supposed to here." Prophet said to us and Rose just ignored him and pointed her bow towards the old man.

I started walking towards the Prophet without any protection or weapon.

The soldiers quickly turned their attention to me but I don't really care about anything else right now.

I want answers and I want them now.

"King Carolus. Let me explain what..."

The Prophet didn't get the chance to finish what he was saying since I put my hand on his neck and started dragging him towards the wall beside the door.

The soldiers around tried to stop me but they just get hit by arrows coming from Rose.

I slammed the Prophet so hard on the wall that he made a coughing sound.

"Do you know what is that thing behind me?" I asked while loosening my grip on the Prophet's neck so he can talk.

"Yes. An Iron Farm."

"Who built it?"

"I'm the one who designed it and I let my followers build it."

I tighten my grip on his neck and he is now slowly losing color on his face.

"King Carolus...!" Rose tried to approach here and stop me but I quickly equipped a spear in my other hand and pointed at her.

It seems that Rose managed to incapacitate all the soldiers here and there is only me, the Prophet and Rose left standing.

I loosened my grip on the Prophet's neck once again and he started coughing and gasping for air. I also lowered my spear.

"You have no idea how desperate I am to save this kingdom." The Prophet said after a while.

"I'm only a beggar for food when I was young but my fate towards the Goddess is strong. I prayed and prayed to be saved until one day, the Goddess whispered something in my ears. 'I will answer your prayers but you also have to help me save this world'." He continued.

I let go of him and he falls on the floor.

The Prophet is rubbing his neck and he then gets back up on his feet.

"The very first thing the Goddess asked of me was to write a letter in a language that I don't know and keep it until the right time comes to give it to the right person. I was having difficulty at that time following the Goddess' order since paper is expensive and I don't even know how to write." The Prophet said.

The Prophet started walking towards the Iron Farm and I was about to stop him by grabbing his neck once again but Rose suddenly intervened. He is facing the Iron Farm and started staring at it.

"Then I turned into a grown man. I was granted a gift from the Goddess to be able to see things, not from this world and I used that gift to help the Kingdom of Aezeokar to get back on its feet." The Prophet said without turning around and still staring at the Iron Farm.

"I learned the secrets on how to produce enough food so the kingdom won't no longer be dependent on Xaerin to survive. I saw people using diamond tools and building towering structures that is touching the skies. I don't know who those people are but they can build things way beyond this world comprehension." The Prophet said while turning around and face us.

Is he talking about the people who are playing the game? He also said that he has a gift from the Goddess.

I opened my inventory and held an eye of ender in my hand.

I pointed the eye of ender to him but nothing happened. What is going here?

"That won't work, King Carolus. The eye of ender can able to see the truth of any being except me. When the Goddess found out about my plans to create the thing that is behind me, she quickly took away the gift she gave me. She also took away my name, age, everything. I'm basically nothing." The Prophet said while slowly walking back towards us. He is careful not to step on the soldiers who are withing in pain on the floor.

"But my sacrifices will not be for naught since you are here now. We have five thousand well-equipped soldiers and enough ships to carry them. With you leading this entire force, we will be able to end this world nightmare." He said and his hand was about to touch me but I quickly shove them away.

Damn. I realized that this old man is crazier than Rose.